If Conquest Racing owner Eric Bachelart has his way, his open-wheel-turned-sports car team will return to its roots next season with a full-time campaign in the IZOD IndyCar Series.

“We just want to understand the engine situation for 2013, but I’m very motivated to get back into IndyCar," he said. "I have good contacts to do so and have been working on it.”

“I’ve been very quiet about it; I don’t want to make any waves, but I’m very motivated to do it again and want to go back to full-time," he said. "It was very strange not racing all the time in IndyCar this year. It was very frustrating, to be quite honest. It’s a good thing I could do the Indy 500 with Michael Andretti’s team with Ana Beatriz, but the plan was to stay in open-wheel racing after Indy—to do more races.

EXTRA: Danica Patrick Divorce- how much is at stake?NASCAR star Danica Patrick and husband Paul Hospenthal are divorcing after seven years of marriage. While the split is being described as amicable there is the question as to how Patrick’s reported $18-million net worth will be divided.

"I am sad to inform my fans that after seven years, Paul and I have decided to amicably end our marriage," Patrick announced on her Facebook page on Tuesday. "This isn't easy for either of us, but mutually it has come to this. He has been an important person and friend in my life and that's how we will remain moving forward."

Will Mark Miles, Jeff Belskus Be The Duo That Revives IndyCar?UPDATE Mark Miles was introduced Tuesday as Hulman & Co. CEO, and people who know him said that he has a "skill that will be vital in reviving a struggling sport: getting contentious players to work together," according to Cavin & Murray of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. IndyCar team "owners, equipment manufacturers, event promoters and drivers -- who regularly fight on issues such as money and rules -- will have to be sold on Miles’ vision." Miles' team will include IMS President & CEO Jeff Belskus, who will "remain president of the parent company but focus on racing activities." The hiring of Miles "comes at a time IndyCar is overwhelmed with issues." It has a "declining audience, a struggling TV package, an unbalanced budget and not enough sponsorship." Miles "didn’t offer many details about his vision Tuesday, but much of it will be based on information from BCG, a Boston-based consulting group hired to study every aspect of IndyCar and IMS." Indy Star

11/20/12 ESPN.com's John Oreovicz wrote hiring Miles "looks like a smart move on a number of levels." He is a "legend in Indianapolis sports and business circles." Miles has "credibility locally, nationally and internationally." His new role "puts him in position to have huge influence on the sport." Meanwhile, this is Belskus' "second stint as interim CEO for IndyCar, and there are signs that he'd like to shed the temporary tag." Since the series split with Bernard a few weeks ago, Belskus has "thrown himself into the task of repairing the broken lines of communication and bruised egos that developed in the second half of Bernard's tenure." Belskus' "familiarity to the Hulman-George family and the Indy car community, combined with Miles' experience and skills, could end up being a winning combination." Miles "may not be the man running Indy car racing, but it sounds like he's a pretty good guy to have supervising and assisting the man who is." ESPN.com

Q and A with Williams' Mark GillanFor the second consecutive race, both Williams Renault FW34s finished in the points in the United States Grand Prix. Pastor Maldonado came home ninth and Bruno Senna tenth after driving tenacious races at the Circuit of the Americas. Mark Gillan, the team's Chief Operations Engineer, sums up the team's race weekend.

Mark Gillan, Chief Operations Engineer:Q: What sort of technical challenge did the Circuit of the Americas provide?MG: The track layout was fantastic and a really good technical challenge for the drivers and teams. With very low grip levels on the Friday the track evolution played a major part in defining how we approached the weekend and tire warm-up and thermal management were key.

Q: How would you sum up the performance of the FW34 at COTA?MG: We struggled a bit on Friday but with some detailed data analysis and resultant set-up changes we managed to get the car performance to a good level and both drivers were happy in the race that they had strong, consistently quick cars.

"After feeling some reoccurring symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, my physician and I decided routine surgery would be best for this situation," said Burton, who was back at home soon after the outpatient procedure. "There is no such thing as an offseason in this sport so I wanted to get it done as soon as possible to be ready for my Caterpillar Visitors Center appearance with Richard (Childress) early next month. Plus, we have many test sessions planned in December with the No. 31 Chevrolet team in preparation for the 2013 season with my new crew chief Luke Lambert. I will be ready to go."

The 2013 Sprint Cup Series season will be Burton's 20th fulltime year in NASCAR's premier division. The South Boston, Va., native has amassed 21 wins, 132 top-five finishes, 248 top-10 finishes, six pole awards and led 6,513 laps during his illustrious career. Burton finished 19th in the 2012 Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings with two top-five and six top-10 finishes. The RCR veteran driver qualified for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup from 2006-2008 and in 2010 with 14-time NASCAR championship winning car owner Richard Childress.

Sports Execs: IndyCar gives fans poor in-person experienceSports execs feel that college football gives fans the best in-person experience, according to a Turnkey Sports Poll conducted in October. Respondents were asked to pick up to three sports, and 41% picked college football. The NHL ranked second with 33% of the respondents, followed by college basketball at 30%. IndyCar, Pro Bull Riding and pro tennis ranked lowest with only 3% (Turnkey Sports).

Petty: NASCAR brawl no big dealNASCAR legend Richard Petty believes that too much has been made of the confrontation between the crews of Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer at Phoenix.

Gordon sparked controversy at Phoenix when he deliberately waited for Bowyer on track to retaliate after the pair had collided. That second on-track clash led to a brawl in the pits, as Bowyer's crew tried to get to Gordon after he cost the latter any chance of winning this year's Cup title.

Petty dismissed the idea that NASCAR needs more of those sorts of incidents to boost publicity, but he added that the fight did not require the level of scrutiny it received afterward.

Senna named greatest F1 driver of all-timeTHE BBC has acclaimed the late Ayrton Senna as the greatest Formula 1 driver of all time.

A panel of experts, including veteran commentator Murray Walker, have been counting down the sport’s top performers in recent weeks. Scottish greats Jim Clark and Sir Jackie Stewart had come in at No 3 and No 7 respectively, while current drivers Michael Schumacher (No 4), Sebastian Vettel (No 8), Fernando Alonso (No 10) and Lewis Hamilton (No 15) also made the top 20. Yesterday, it was announced that Senna is No 1.

SME Branding Selected To Develop Identity for GRAND-AM, ALMS MergerA key component in the merger of GRAND-AM Road Racing and the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr¢n was announced today, with world-class branding agency SME Branding selected to develop the new identity for the combined sports car series.

“Scott Atherton and I both believe our mandate, since announcing plans to merge GRAND-AM and ALMS, has been to ensure that we get it right the first time,” said GRAND-AM CEO Ed Bennett. “We think we’re well on our way to doing that from an identity standpoint with SME Branding on board.”

The move will give Hornish a veteran’s perspective as he competes in his second full season in the Nationwide Series. The native of Defiance, Ohio finished fourth in the Nationwide Series standings in 2012 after recording 10 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes in 33 starts.

USF2000 Announces Partnership with SunocoThe Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda today announced that Sunoco – the Official Fuel Partner of INDYCAR – has entered into a multi-year relationship with the series to become the Official Fuel Supplier beginning with the seven-event, 14-race 2013 season.

Sunoco began its association in motorsports during the mid-1960s and has grown into a powerhouse, supplying its premium racing fuel to more than 500 race tracks and 50 racing series in the United States including also NASCAR and GRAND-AM.

“Sunoco has a tremendous footprint in motorsports and we are excited to have them as a partner,” said Dan Andersen, Owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions, the series promoter. “They have set the benchmark with their high-quality racing fuels, and their relationship with INDYCAR provides the perfect synergy for our series to align and welcome them as our fuel supplier. The additional activation around our program that Sunoco will be providing greatly enhances our partnership and will offer additional exposure for our series and competitors.”

Quicken Loans to be Presenting Sponsor of 2013 "Dual in Detroit"The Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix has announced that Detroit-based Quicken Loans, the nation’s largest online mortgage lender, will serve as presenting sponsor of both IZOD IndyCar Series races next summer on Belle Isle.

The Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans (event logo attached) will feature two 70-lap championship IndyCar Series races as part of next year’s Grand Prix. The first Dual race will take place on the afternoon of Saturday, June 1, and the second Dual will be contested on the afternoon of Sunday, June 2. The doubleheader represents the first time that two IndyCar races will be hosted on the same weekend in the history of the Detroit Grand Prix. It will also mark the first of three IndyCar doubleheader race weekends as the new format makes its long-awaited debut in Detroit in 2013. Both races will be televised live from coast to coast on ABC.

Danica Patrick getting divorcedDanica Patrick and her husband are divorcing after seven years of marriage.

Patrick announced the split with Paul Hospenthal on her Facebook page Tuesday.

"I am sad to inform my fans that after seven years, Paul and I have decided amicably end our marriage," she said. "This isn't easy for either of us, but mutually it has come to this. He has been an important person and friend in my life and that's how we will remain moving forward."

Hospenthal is a physical therapist who met Patrick while treating her for a non-racing injury. The two were married in 2005, and he is 17 years older than the 30-year-old driver.

Austin F1 Race Deemed A SuccessIn London, David Tremayne notes a "huge amount of effort went into creating a decent race track, which combined sections from other tracks, such as Interlagos, Silverstone, Hockenheim and Istanbul Park, and would be challenging and offer drivers the possibility to overtake." The Friday crowd "doubled the raceday crowd" when the U.S. Grand Prix was held in Phoenix from '89-91 and there were a "number of celebrities in the paddock." It was "teeming not just with famous faces from racing, but with actors, singers, entertainers, movie-makers and shakers, athletes from other sports and politicians." But "crucially, there was one area in which size was not too excessive, and that was Austin itself." The FanFest street shows "proved massively popular" and was "F1 marketing the way it should be done." Tremayne: "Was the U.S. GP a success? It was a lot more than that." London Independent

Ratings and viewership were down from last year’s record-setting NASCAR season finale. With Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards waging a race-long battle for the championship that Stewart won by a tiebreaker, and the race running well into Sunday night prime time due to a rain delay, last year’s event set a record as the most-viewed NASCAR race ever on ESPN with 6.8 million viewers and a 4.6 household coverage rating.

Danica Patrick made NASCAR history with her 10th-place finish in the Nationwide Series standings, the highest finish for a female in any of the stock car racing organization's three national series.

The trophy she received Monday night might be a little more special. Patrick won the most popular driver award for the series in voting conducted online. In some ways, Patrick should win the award. She has more than 670,000 Twitter followers and drove for the most popular team, JR Motorsports, in the series.

USGP TV RatingSPEED’s coverage of the inaugural Formula One race from Austin drew more than 500,000 viewers, scoring a Nielsen Household Rating of 0.42. The ratings mark is up 40% with HHs (0.42 vs. 0.30), 70% among M35-54 (0.46 vs. 0.27) and 75% among M18-49 (0.28 vs. 0.16) versus last year’s equivalent race (Brazil). It was the highest rated Formula One race on SPEED with HHs and M18-49 in well over a year.

The 2012 Formula One season wraps up this weekend on SPEED with live coverage of the Grand Prix of Brazil:

Greg Ives Named Crew Chief for Regan Smith at JR MotorsportsGreg Ives, the race engineer for Jimmie Johnson’s historic run of five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships from 2006-10, has been named crew chief for JR Motorsports and driver Regan Smith for the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series season, general manager Kelley Earnhardt Miller announced today.

Ives, 33, and Smith, 29, will spearhead JRM’s bid for a 2013 championship in the No. 5 Chevrolet. Smith was victorious in his JR Motorsports debut Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, driving the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet to a win in the season finale. The win was Smith’s first in 103 series starts and the company’s 10th.

Veteran business leader and international sports executive Mark D. Miles will become chief executive officer of Hulman & Company on Dec. 17, 2012.

The appointment of Miles adds extensive experience to the company's management. It also positions Jeff Belskus, who currently serves as CEO of several Hulman & Company lines of business, to focus his attention primarily on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation and INDYCAR.

Miles will lead the overall business direction and management of Hulman & Company, including a key role in the refinement and implementation of the company's long-term strategic plan. Hulman & Company is comprised of Clabber Girl, Georgetown Realty, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, INDYCAR, IMS Productions and various other business entities.

Hulman & Company To Make Important Announcement TodayHulman & Company will make an important announcement - introducing a new addition to its executive management team - at 10:30 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, Nov. 20.

Sonoma, CA – Dave Brown won his second race of 2012 at Sonoma on November 11, 2012 driving the Competition Clutch/Hawk Brake Mitsubishi Lancer. Brown was the quickest driver in every session of the weekend, started from pole position and led every lap on his way to the Race Ramps victory circle. Behind him was a huge battle for the championship lead by Chris Lock’s Roger Kraus Racing Honda Prelude who finished in second place and turned the quickest time of the race.

Finishing in third place was the newly formed team of Felipe Cabezas and Tim Barber in the TNI Racing Mazdaspeed 3. In GT, Ken Kurtz won the class in his Yokohama Pontiac Trans Am while rookie Daniel Akhromstev finished second in the PTF Racing BMW M3. John Trefethen finished third in the Trefethen Vineyards Ford Mustang.

Tickets for the 2013 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix are now on sale and fans can purchase their passes for the exciting May 31-June 2 event by visiting www.DetroitGP.com or by calling the ticket hotline at 866-464-PRIX (7749).

Even with more racing and entertainment on Belle Isle next summer – highlighted by the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans doubleheader IndyCar races – prices for nearly all tickets remain at the same level as 2012.

The 2012 Race Of Champions will feature the most successful drivers in the history of Le Mans and the World Touring Car Championship as Tom Kristensen and Andy Priaulx MBE have joined the roll call of legends heading to Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium on December 14-16.

Denmark’s Kristensen is acknowledged as the finest endurance racer in motor sport history. He has a record eight victories in the Le Mans 24-Hour race, plus a record six wins at the Sebring 12-Hour race and an American Le Mans Series title.

Now it’s time for bookkeepers, accountants and economists to document — and debate — the costs and benefits of Austin playing host to an international racing event.

It will be months before a final tally for the inaugural race is rung up. And unlike other major sporting events, such as the Super Bowl, the Circuit of the Americas will have a recurring slate of various races and events at a $400 million facility that wouldn’t have been built and put on the tax rolls without the Formula One imprimatur.

SEMA Combines PRI, IMIS Shows for 2013The PRI and IMIS trade shows will be returning to Indy next year as a single, combined event. The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) has finalized an agreement to purchase the International Motorsports Industry Show (IMIS), a hardcore racing trade show that has been held annually in Indianapolis since 2009.

As a result, IMIS will be consolidated with the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show, currently held in Orlando, which will return to Indianapolis for 2013 and beyond, according to a SEMA press release.

Three Cars Approved For World ChallengeWC Vision is pleased to announce the approval of the Audi R8 LMS, Mercedes SLS, and BMW Z4 for competition in the Pirelli World Challenge GT class for 2013.

James Sofronas in the GMG Audi R8“As we continue our successful strategy of offering the best world-class production car racing I am pleased to announce the approval of three FIA GT3 cars to race in the Pirelli World Challenge GT class,” said Scott Bove, WC Vision, President and CEO. “After the successful integration of the Audi R8 into our GT class in 2012 we began the comprehensive review of the Mercedes SLS and BMW Z4.

Sadler will drive full-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2013 alongside Brian Vickers. Sadler has finished second in the series standings the last two seasons to Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

The Virginia native announced earlier this year that he would be leaving Richard Childress Racing following the conclusion of the 2012 season. In his two years driving the No. 2 Chevrolet, Sadler has scored four victories.

Audi of America will begin offering 3.0-liter V-6 diesel engines in the A8, A7 and A6 cars and the Q5 crossover beginning next year.

The four TDI diesel-equipped models will make their debuts next week at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Audi already offers a diesel powerplant in the Q7 crossover, but the 2013 model features an updated engine. The A3 TDI has been dropped but will return with the launch of the redesigned A3 in early 2014.

Penske looking for consistency in IndyCar leadershipA Homestead this weekend Roger Penske said during a NASCAR press conference he is frustrated with the recent management changes at the top of the IZOD IndyCar Series.

“When I see the change at the top, it is a little disappointing to see they didn’t have a plan before making the change,” he said while in Homestead, Fla., for the NASCAR finale. “There’s never been a leader there over the last several years that has stayed, and that’s a shame,” he added. “In management, you need continuity just as much as you need continuity in our races. IndyCar needs strong leaders such as they have in NASCAR.”

Sky Deutschland Sees Record Ratings For Its U.S. Grand Prix BroadcastGerman pay-TV channel Sky Deutschland "set a new season-ratings record with its broadcast of the F1 Grand Prix of the U.S. on Sunday," according to Alexander Krei of DWDL. A total of 440,000 viewers watched McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton win the inaugural race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. In the target demographic 14-49, Sky obtained a market share of 1.3%. In addition, private-TV channel RTL attracted more than 7 million viewers to its broadcast of the race.

The Whistle Signs New Content, Distribution Deals With IndyCarStartup youth sports programmer The Whistle has signed cross-platform content and distribution deals with IndyCar Entertainment and action sports outfit Alli Sports, as well as a technology services pact with multimedia and 3D company Immersion Sports. The trio of deals extends a year-long run of agreements for The Whistle that also have included the NFL, USOC, U.S. Soccer and the Harlem Globetrotters. As with the prior partnerships, The Whistle will license catalog and newly-created content from IndyCar and Alli. Immersion, meanwhile, will aid in the creation of several technology-related enhancements, particularly 3D animations during instructional segments. The Whistle co-Founder & CMO Jeff Urban said, "More people are understanding what we're doing and are joining the party. There are many, many more of these kind of deals we can do. It's up to us to be very strategic about how we go forward."

The 28-year-old Keselowski, a native of Rochester Hills, Mich., became the first Penske Racing driver to win the title in NASCAR's premiere series on Sunday in the series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Driving the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger to the championship for team owner Roger Penske, a resident of Birmingham, Mich., Keselowski also became the first Michigan-born driver to win the Cup Series crown.

New alternator for Red BullRenault will switch Red Bull on to its newest specification of alternator for the championship decider in Brazil following Mark Webber's failure in the United States Grand Prix.

Webber suffered Red Bull's third alternator failure in a race this year at Austin, dropping him out of third position. That problem prompted concerns from the team about that area of the car, which has left engine partner Renault in no doubt that Red Bull must switch to the newer spec for this weekend's Interlagos showdown.

Starworks adds Bourdais for DaytonaSebastien Bourdais will rejoin the Starworks team for the 2013 Rolex 24 at Daytona. The four-time Champ Car champion and Le Mans 24 Hours podium finisher is set to team up with Ryan Dalziel, Alex Popow and Allan McNish in the Starworks Riley-Ford.

Brad Keselowski Talks Title on SPEED's NASCAR Race HubIt was a championship feast on SPEED’s NASCAR Race Hub, as newly crowned Sprint Cup Series Champion Brad Keselowski brought his unique perspectives from the 2012 season, including everything it took to claim the title. He joined host Steve Byrnes for tonight’s special edition of the show.

The following are highlighted quotes.

Steve Byrnes: What was the vision you had for Penske Racing?

Brad Keselowski: To be a Sprint Cup champion. To be a championship team that produced cars and people that shared a common goal of greatness. It sounds really easy, but I can assure you, it’s a lot harder than it sounds.

Daimler takes full control of Mercedes Formula One teamGerman luxury carmaker Daimler has taken full control of the Mercedes Formula One motor racing team after buying a 40 percent stake owned by Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Aabar Investments.

Involvement in Formula One gives a car brand like Mercedes access to a huge global TV audience following the 20-race series and allows it to use the drivers to help promote sales of road cars.

The sale of the Formula One stake is a logical step for Aabar which has been cutting its ties with Daimler. Aabar's disposal in October was triggered by a failed derivatives deal underpinning the investment firm's purchase of the shares, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

1. Because Vettel has 5 wins compared to 3 for Alonso, the Spaniard must beat Vettel outright on points. Alonso is 13 points behind, and therefore must make up 14 points on Vettel to win the title. Thus.....

2. If Vettel finishes fourth or better, he wins the world championship.

*****Of Note: If Alonso wins and Vettel finishes fourth they will be tied on points, however Vettel takes the title with five wins compared to Alonso's four.

3. Alonso must finish on the podium to have any chance at the world championship. Below are scenarios for Alonso to win title.

--If Alonso finishes third, Vettel must finish tenth or worse for Alonso to win the title--If Alonso finishes second, Vettel must finish 8th or worse for Alonso to win the title. --If Alonso finishes first, Vettel must finish fifth or worse for Alonso to won the title.

Sebastian Vettel said he was "unhappy" to get held up by a backmarker - something which he believed cost him victory in the United States Grand Prix - but the Red Bull technical boss Adrian Newey gave a blunter assessment.

Lewis Hamilton pressurized Vettel for nearly the whole race, and on lap 42 he took the lead using DRS after Vettel was caught behind the HRT of Narain Karthikeyan in the opening sector. Vettel said that there was no real way for Hamilton to pass without that incident as both cars were equally matched, and that he then could not find a way of regaining the position.

2013 Auto GP racecar set for the early debut in BarcelonaThe Auto GP Series will be back on-track at Barcelona in three weeks as the championship's teams are set to line-up at Circuit de Catalunya on the 6th and 7th of December. After having rounded out a successful 2012 season at Sonoma in the USA, the Coloni Motorsport-promoted series is not taking breaks and Enzo Coloni is determined in following the series' winning path for 2013.

We're almost ready for testing. What do you expect from Auto GP's trip to Barcelona?"I expect to see a lot of drivers in the line-up as these tests are scheduled in a moment of the year that is free of other commitments for them. We will be running with our new car and we hope that the performance on-track will meet the feedback we had in the simulations. According to the first data, the car should be around 1.5 seconds faster than the current one. It's an ambitious goal, but I reckon it's an achievable one too".

Latest on JGR extension with BuschJoe Gibbs Racing is hoping to re-sign Kyle Busch before the end of the year. Coach Gibbs said Saturday that his company is working on a long-term deal to secure both the M&M's sponsorship and the driver, whose contract runs through 2013.

"We're working really hard on that. We want to do that early so we're not going into the last year," Gibbs said. "M&M's is on board, but their contract is still extended into the future. Hopefully, we get everything clarified in the next two weeks. I'm expecting everything to kind of be in place in the next two weeks. That would be a game plan for us if we could. That would be exciting."

Monster Energy is expected to join Busch in the Nationwide Series at JGR. Kyle Busch Motorsports will continue to campaign in trucks and perhaps a NNS entry as well. FoxSports

SPEED/FOX Analysts Weigh In on 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup ChampionshipIn his third full season of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition, Penske Racing’s Brad Keselowski beat five-time champion Jimmie Johnson to win the 2012 championship. In a shocking twist, Johnson suffered a mechanical problem that relegated him to third in the season-ending point standings with Clint Bowyer moving into second place.

NASCAR on SPEED and FOX on-air personalities Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds, Jeff Hammond and Kyle Petty offered their perspective on the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season finale and championship Sunday on NASCAR Victory Lane on SPEED. Following are excerpts from the program:

Moscow Raceway, Russia’s new and only world-class circuit, has signed a deal to host a round of German DTM international Touring Car Series starting on the weekend of August 4, 2013.

The German series rights holder and Moscow Raceway signed a 3-year contract this week.

Ms. Ekaterina Beltsevich, Head of Moscow Raceway project: “Since the circuit’s opening in July this year we’ve emphasized how much we’d like to get the world’s leading Touring Car series – DTM – to our track. Today we are extremely delighted to announce that our negotiations were successful and Moscow Raceway will be the place of DTM’s premiere in Russia at the beginning of August 2013.”

An exuberant crowd of 117,429 packed the new 330-acre facility. Total attendance for the three-day event was 265,499 with Friday’s practice sessions and Saturday’s qualifying rounds drawing 65,360 and 82,710, respectively.

Old Bruton got to eat his words today. The Austin race was a huge success and drew far more fans than Bruton's NASCAR race did at TMS. It looks like TMS has some real competition in the Circuit of Americas and Texans have been exposed to the #1 form of racing in the world - Formula 1.

11/04/12A reader writes, Dear AR1.com, Ole Bruton is flapping his gums so he must be shaking in his boots. It appears most of the NASCAR fans that used to buy tickets for the fall Sprint Cup race at his Texas Motor Speedway instead bought tickets for the Austin, Texas F1 race in two weeks. The photos show all the empty grandstands on Sunday at TMS and the other side of the S/F line was even worse. It looks like Bruton is going to have to rip out a lot of grandstands at TMS so NASCAR doesn't look like a big loser. Maybe he should drop to just one Sprint Cup race a year at TMS. Charlie Drake

DAVID HIGDON: Steve O'Donnell, vice president of racing operations for NASCAR has a couple of announcements to make. He will be available afterwards to talk, as well. Steve?

STEVE O'DONNELL: Thanks, David. As David talked about, certainly saw a terrific race last night. One of the things I think that was evident to everybody was the influx of young talent that we've got coming up through the ranks. We announced previously an age limit change in the tours where we went to 15, and based on the opportunities for a lot of young drivers out there that are coming up through our system faster and faster, you're seeing it in the tours, you're seeing it in our DForD program. We're going to move the age restrictions that currently exists for the trucks from 18 down to 16, and that rule will be in place for road courses and any tracks 1.1 mile or less.

Rosenqvist (R) gets the jump on da Costa (C) into the first corner at the start

Antonio Felix da Costa has added his name to the illustrious list of Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix winners, thanks to a stunning drive at the tricky Guia street circuit today.

The Portuguese young gun, fresh from testing for crack Formula 1 team Red Bull Racing in Abu Dhabi, started the 15-lap Grand Prix from pole position. However, just like yesterday’s Qualification Race he found himself trailing Felix Rosenqvist on the run down to Lisboa on the first lap.

USGP draws big Saturday crowdUPDATE #2 Yet another reader writes, Dear AR1.com, Seeing how successful and popular the F1 race is this weekend in Texas it is clear there are plenty of open wheel racing fans out there. I agree with you, the reason why IndyCar is such a failure is because the people who own it think small, so they will always be small. IndyCar should be a global series like F1 and it should ditch that horrible NBC Sports TV deal they have (thanks Anton for nothing). It's too bad the series and it owners are so dysfunctional and self-serving. Oh, and I could not agree more, that new IndyCar is downright hideous looking. No wonder TV ratings have plummeted from infomercial numbers to a fraction of infomercial numbers. Who wants to watch Edsels drive around in circles for two hours? Dana Dunn

11/18/12 Another reader writes, Dear AR1.com, I concur mostly with what you posted in your HotNews item, USGP draws big Saturday crowd, about the transportation plan running fairly smoothly. My friend and I have a free parking pass for the Event Center parking lot, about 2 miles west of the track and a free shuttle that drops us off at the main entrance gate. Getting to and from the track wasn't a problem, yesterday or today for us. There were no signs of shuttle troubles at the track - maybe at other shuttle places?

COTA is a first class track - superb design and layout. Turn 1 is truly unique and awesome. We were surprised by the number and extent of elevation changes around the track, including spectator areas Spectator viewing is great from virtually any vantage point. Many TV Jumbotrons are available for spectator viewing. There are lots of friendly volunteers to help answer questions and hand out track brochures.

2013 FIA Formula 3 European ChampionshipOne of the key aims of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) is to aid the progress of young drivers through the ranks of junior motor sport towards an eventual drive in Formula One. To facilitate this progress the Federation has increased its involvement in the F3 European Championship in a bid to restore the series to its former glory. As such, from 2013 the FIA Formula 3 European Championship will be a part of major international meetings. The series will consist of ten events on both F1 circuits and others closely linked to the history of F3.

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